In the manufacture of hollow glass articles, it is often necessary to sever the article and in the step of severing, small glass particles may be deposited on the interior of the articles. Typical arrangements where such particles occur are in the manufacture of hollow articles by the well known paste mold process wherein a moil is broken or severed from the remainder of the glass. In such a process the particles of greatest concern may be on the order of 0.010 inch or larger. Particles may also be produced in the manufacture of glass tubing wherein the tubing is severed into lengths by scoring and cracking. In such a process the particles of concern may be on the order of 0.020 inch or smaller. Heretofore, it has been common to utilize air to attempt to purge the particles from the interior of the article. Such a method of removal is not as effective as may be desired and, in the case of hollow articles, has the additional disadvantage of possibly weakening the resistance of the article to impact.
Accordingly, among the objectives of the present invention are to provide an effective method of removal of glass particles from hollow glass articles.
In accordance with the invention, the method of removing such particles comprises contacting the glass article with a resonator of an ultrasonic generator system and subjecting the article to ultrasonic vibrations.